Enhancing the Elementary School Assistant Principalship: Some Findings from Research.

Downing, Clinton R.

Research on 125 assistant elementary principals in North Carolina revealed seven concerns about performance of duties: (1) lack of a well-defined job description, (2) lack of authority to implement assigned tasks, (3) lack of involvement in the instructional process, (4) lack of recognition, (5) make-shift office space, (6) low salaries, and (7) discrepancies between female and male assistant principal expectations. After analyses of these concerns, the study offers 10 recommendations as "skill builders" for use by principals concerned with the effective use of assistant principals. Involvement in every aspect of the school's administration is important for full realization of the assistant principal's potential. (MD)